Usher on Performing at the Super Bowl and Almost Leaving Music: “Should I Continue to Do This, or Should I Pivot?”

Usher is headlining Sunday’s Tremendous Bowl halftime present, however the famous person admits he beforehand had ideas of leaving the music business.

“I hadn’t had a profitable document as profitable as [2004’s] Confessions, and there was this analyzing [thought], like, ‘Man, ought to I proceed to do that, or ought to I pivot and grow to be an actor?’” he tells The Hollywood Reporter.

However the singer pressed on and advised himself, “No, I wish to do what I actually love.” That’s when he launched his residency in Sin Metropolis, which turned a white-hot success. 

“I went to Las Vegas with no promise in a time when the world was not going anyplace as a result of we have been in a pandemic, and [I] had the hope that I may arouse individuals sufficient to come back to Las Vegas and rejoice with me,” he explains. “And it become, not solely essentially the most profitable moments of Las Vegas historical past, however probably the most profitable moments in my life.”

He continues, “After which to play the Tremendous Bowl, that proper there’s a virtuous story of perception in self, man. I’m a 45-year-old artist who has discovered my method into an unbelievable second on account of perception in myself and the truth that I didn’t let something deter it, it doesn’t matter what it seemed like, it doesn’t matter what the comparability to earlier albums have been. I didn’t care about none of that. I used to be like, ‘I imagine in making high quality and high quality efficiency issues. I wish to go to Las Vegas the place I can unfold my wings and be inventive and do issues the best way I wish to do them; not simply anticipate a profitable album in hopes that I’m going to have the ability to put collectively a tour and journey the world.’” Including, “the crescendo of that’s the fucking Tremendous Bowl. Man, I’m so joyful and blessed.”

Usher will carry out on the halftime present at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, the place the defending Tremendous Bowl champs Kansas Metropolis Chiefs will tackle the San Francisco 49ers. He has gained eight Grammy Awards and launched 18 High 10 hits on the Billboard Sizzling 100 chart, together with 9 No.1s, from “Good & Sluggish” to Yeah!” to “Confessions Half II.” He’ll launch a brand new album, Coming Dwelling, on Friday and can begin his Previous Current Future Tour this summer season.

This yr is additional particular for the performer for a number of causes: He’s additionally celebrating the twentieth anniversary of his diamond-certified 2004 album Confessions and the thirtieth anniversary of his self-titled debut, which was launched in 1994 when he was simply 15.

He is aware of he’s had sufficient success to headline the halftime present prior to now, however he says it feels superb getting to realize the feat at this level in his profession — and life.

“God permits issues to occur within the time that they’re meant,” he explains. “The industries, the locations that we see and we maintain so expensive just like the Grammys and being acknowledged by the Academies and being acknowledged in these main locations, I feel that they’re altering. I feel that they’re changing into extra clear and keyed into tradition another way. And that’s good. Ought to I’ve carried out earlier on the Tremendous Bowl based mostly off of the hit information that I had? I don’t assume it’s a few hit-record second. I feel it’s a celebration of a profession. All people that has had that second, they’ve had a profession that spanned, and so they reached a spot the place the world wanted to see and rejoice it and acknowledge that particular person.”

Usher continues, “You take a look at Shakira and Jennifer Lopez and the truth that they’re celebrating their tradition. You realize what I’m saying? This yr, Univision, this will probably be their first time ever televising the Tremendous Bowl, so it’s rising, nevertheless it’s recognizing the tradition of the world and never simply the circle that it has for Sunday and in soccer. That Halftime efficiency has spanned far past the attain of simply America.”